Managing energy is no longer a dream or a luxury, it’s a requirement. All it takes are the right tools and Creating Value... exper se—Baker provides both through its strategic partnership with TRIRIGA®,thedeveloperofTREES™, the industry’s leading asset management system designed to measure, manage, and reduce energy consump on and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Energy management is just one of a suite of innova ve solu ons provided by Baker to support your sustainable planning, design, and management needs, at your finger ps.
... Delivering Solutions
Planning • Architecture • Engineering • Environmental • Geospatial Technologies Construction Management • Program Management • Facilities Management
Crea ng value by delivering innova ve and sustainable solu ons for infrastructure and the environment.
To learn more about Baker’s comprehensive services, visit www.mbakercorp.com or call Brad L. Dailey, AICP, Assistant Vice President at 703.317.3066
For more info on TRIRIGA® and TREES™, visit www.tririga.com/products/products-trees Pittsburgh EENGINEERNGINEER Quarterly Publication of the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania ENGINEERS’ SOCIETY OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh Engineers’ Building 337 Fourth Avenue In this Issue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Tel: 412-261-0710•Fax: 412-261-1606 4Guest Editor e-mail: [email protected] Pittsburgh ENGINEER is the quarterly publication of the Engineers’ Society By: Dennis Yablonsky of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP). The ideas and opinions expressed within Pittsburgh ENGINEER are those of the writers and not necessarily the members, officers or directors of ESWP. Pittsburgh ENGINEER is provided 5ESWP Awards Program free to ESWP members and members of our subscribing affiliated technical societies. Regular subscriptions are available for $10 per year. 6Carbon Management in the 2009 ESWP Officers Tri-State Area President Anthony M. DiGioia Jr., Ph.D., P.E., DiGioia, Gray & Associates By: Don Olmstead 1st Vice President Deborah A. Lange, Ph.D., P.E., Carnegie Mellon University, Steinbrenner Institute 11History of U.S. Windpower 2nd Vice President Thomas E. Donatelli, P.E., Michael Baker Corporation By: Mark Scher Treasurer Dominick J. DeSalvo, DeSalvo Enterprises, Inc. Solar Power Shining Bright Secretary 14 Michael G. Bock, P.E., Esq., Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis in Western PA Past President Alex G. Sciulli, P.E., R. J. Lee Group, Inc. 2009 ESWP Directors 15PPG’s Wind Energy Program Wayne E. Bernahl, W. Bernahl Enterprises, IWC General Chair Jeffrey J. Campbell, P.E., Michael Baker Jr., Inc., IBC General Chair 20Company Profile: Eric Cartwright, P.E., UPMC H. Daniel Cessna, P.E., PENNDOT District 11 Consol Energy Jerome N. Dettore, P.E., Michael Baker Corporation Michael A. Fedorenko, U. S. Steel Corporation 25Can Pennsylvania Become Thomas F. Ferrence, Fluor Enterprises, Inc. Donald P. Fusilli, Jr., P.E., J.D., The Telum Group the Natural Gas Capital? James R. McMaster, Trammell Crowe Kenneth R. Marino, P.E., Wayne Crouse, Inc. 26Can the Marcellus Shale A. Robert Necciai, P.E., CSD Engineers, LLC Roy L. Patterson, R.T. Patterson Company, Inc. Fuel our Economy and Michael P. Roarty, P.E., P.J. Dick, Inc. Charles R. Toran, Jr., Sci-Tek Consultants, Inc.. Protect our Environment? Jason R. Venier, P.E., CDM By: Matt Pitzarella Robert J. Ward, P.E., Astorino
Publications Committee 28Paths to the Future The ESWP produces a range of publications as a service to our members and affiliated technical societies. ESWP Publications are supported by an By: James H. Garrett, Jr. all-volunteer Publications Committee. Guest Editor: Dennis Yablonsky, Allegheny Conference on Community De- Extras velopment Chair: Jerome N. Dettore, P.E. Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. Mark A. Miller, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. 16ESWP Corporate Members David J. Minoit, Venture Engineering & Construction Chriss Swaney, Carnegie Mellon University 19ESWP Career Awareness News Daniel J. Tis, Siemens Environmental Systems & Services Advertisers Index Editor-in-Chief: David A. Teorsky, ESWP 30 Cover Design: ABC Imaging, Pittsburgh
Fall 2009 3 Guest Dennis Yablonsky Chief Executive Officer Allegheny Conference on Community EDITOR Development and Affiliates
Dennis Yablonsky
he world community is increasingly recognizing The energy economy represents a tremendous opportu- that the important issues around energy production nity for job growth and wealth creation in the Pittsburgh Tand consumption must be addressed. Excess is out region. As a source for nuclear power, cleaner coal and and alternative is in—not as a passing fad, but rather as an carbon capture technology; domestic clean-burning essential and long-term approach to satisfying our energy natural gas; next generation wind, solar and other renew- demands while preserving our natural resources. able energy devices and components; intelligent building Discussions on a “new world energy order” were an materials; and systems created to effi ciently deliver power important part of the G-8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy this and conserve global resources, Pittsburgh is unmatched. past July. Underscoring their importance, these discussions Southwestern Pennsylvania sits atop plentiful natural included—for the fi rst time ever, representatives of the resources. We’re additionally fortunate to be surrounded world’s leading corporations that operate in the energy in- by world-class academic, corporate and government enti- dustry, including oil and natural gas, renewable resources, ties driving R&D and other innovation across traditional nuclear energy and advanced systems and technologies for and alternative energy sectors. This leads to the creation coal. of products and services for a global market with aware- As you peruse this Fall 2009 issue of Pittsburgh ness that sustainability is no longer just nice, it’s a neces- Engineer, fi nal preparations will be underway for the 2009 sity. Combined, the assets noted above distinguish the summit of G-20 leaders in Pittsburgh. Here, global lead- Pittsburgh region in the energy world. ers will again take up—among other critical concerns—a The Pittsburgh region companies and institutions that dialogue around energy that will likely build on the G-8’s help to defi ne our diverse energy leadership include (but discussions in L’Aquila. are not limited to) CONSOL Energy, Flabeg, MSE Power Pittsburgh’s hosting of the 2009 G-20 summit is mean- Systems, Inc., Range Resources, Solar Power Industries, ingful to our region for so many reasons, including, but Venture Engineering, Westinghouse Electric Company not limited to, the benefi cial impact it’s expected to have and Carnegie Mellon University. You can read more about on our economy and the opportunity it provides to tell these particular innovators and their solutions to sustain- thousands of global journalists and other infl uencers the ably energize the planet in this edition of Pittsburgh story of a “new Pittsburgh.” Engineer with its timely energy focus. But equally meaningful is Pittsburgh’s recognized In addition to better informing readers within the region role as an energy innovator and green revolution leader. about why Pittsburgh is justifi ably an integrated energy President Obama’s selection of Pittsburgh as the site for solutions provider to the world, it’s my hope a copy of the 2009 G-20 summit was deliberate. What better place Pittsburgh Engineer will fi nd its way into the hands of is there to illustrate a winning economic transformation visiting G-20 delegates and journalists. Its company and strategy – one which includes the marriage of historical organization profi les and stories provide a respectable manufacturing expertise and high tech savvy to allow introduction to our regional energy cachet—all in one the region to emerge as a creator of solutions for global convenient publication from a regarded professional asso- energy needs? Couple that with the fact that the Pittsburgh ciation that has made its home in Pittsburgh for 129 years: region has historically been a steward and supplier of rich The Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania. PE natural resources for energy – coal and natural gas, in par- ticular – and you have a G-20 summit site that is uniquely illustrative of summit discussions and goals, particularly those around economic recovery and energy production Dennis Yablonksy was named Chief Executive Offi cer of the Allegheny and conservation. Conference in March 2009. He may be reached by phone at 412-281-1890.
4 Pittsburgh ENGINEER ESWP Annual Awards Program
FIRST CALL – DEADLINE TO APPLY: DECEMBER 31, 2009 In conjunction with National Engineers Week, The Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvnaia recognizes an exem- plary engineer and outstanding projects from the Western Pennsylvania region. To that end, the ESWP Board of Directors is accepting nominations for the 2009 Engineer and Project of the Year Awards. The ESWP Awards will be presented in a ceremony at our 126th Annual Banquet on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 (Save the Date!) The attention that these awards will bring will highlight the important contributions engineers make to our society. It is the hope that these awards will represent a meaningful impetus in attracting the best minds to the fi eld and encouraging those in the fi eld to excel at their work. Nominations for ESWP Engineer of the Year and Project of the Year can be submitted by any member of ESWP, or its affi liated technical societies or member companies. Selections are based upon the criteria as listed below. Nomination forms can be found on the ESWP web site at www.eswp.com. The Selection Committee seeks nominations that exhibit evidence of innovation and service to the engineering profession and society. ESWP Engineer of the Year Criteria: • Technical and professional accomplishments • Contributions to the engineering profession • Civic and Community affairs Eligibility: • Member of ESWP, affi liated technical society or member company • Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree from Engineering School or 5 years work experience in a recognized engineering position • Accomplishments should be within the last 5 years • No members of the Engineer’s Week Committee are eligible for this award ESWP Project of the Year Criteria: • Technical innovation • Commercial success • Benefi t to society Eligibility: • Company or organization who performed the project should be a member of ESWP, or have members who belong to ESWP, an affi liated technical society, or member company • Projects may be located anywhere in the world • Projects should have been completed within the last 5 years
Engineers Week Committee Members whose companies or organizations are nominated may not participate in the selection process. If you are interested in additional information, please contact the ESWP Offi ces at 412-261-0710. To submit an application for any of the above Awards, please visit the ESWP web site for an application at www.eswp.com/ eswp/annual_awards.htm Sincerely, ESWP Engineers Week Committee
FallFall 2009 5 carbon management in the tri-state area carbon sequestration and capture moves ahead By Don Olmstead Given our area’s history of heavy industry, people usually do not associate Pittsburgh with air quality; however, Pittsburgh is a hub of several initiatives related to air quality, particularly man- agement of carbon dioxide emissions. Much of the attention for CO2 capture and sequestration in the tri-state area focuses on coal fi red power plants.
Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration activities in the tri-state area include: basic research, fi eld studies, and pilot or demonstration projects. Some areas of research address integrated gasifi cation/combined cycle (IGCC) generation with CO2 capture, post-combustion CO2 cap- ture, and oxygen combustion (oxy-combustion), which combusts coal using pure oxygen thus minimizing the volume of exhaust gas that requires processing. Carbon Dioxide Generation tion. When carbon compounds are oxidized, whether by respi- Typically the source of oxygen for combustion process- es is air, which is about 20% and 80% nitrogen. Exhaust ration or combustion, carbon dioxide (CO2 ) gas is gener- ated. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric gas composition after combustion varies with fuel type, Administration’s (NOAA) Earth Systems Research but consider untreated fl ue gas from a power plant burning low sulfur eastern bituminous coal. Based on NETL data, Laboratory, global average CO2 concentration has risen from a pre-industrial era level of 280 parts per million the fl ue gas is typically 15-16& carbon dioxide, with 5-7% (ppm) to 386 ppm at the end of 2008. water, and 3-4% oxygen. The remainder, except for ppm NOAA attributes this increase to fossil fuel combus- quantities of other combustion products, is nitrogen gas at around 75%. Table 1: Carbon Dioxide from Tri-State Area Power Plants Accordingly, the handling and storage Units PA OH WV Reference requirements can be Coal Consumption for Power 1,000 Tons 55,712 59,452 38,056, 1 reduced by a factor Generation, 2007 of about four when Carbon Dioxide Emissions for 1,000 Tons 110,265 119,409 78,076 2,3,4 carbon dioxide is iso- Power Generation, 2007 lated from nitrogen. Coal Fired Generating MW 18,581 22,074 14,715 5,6,7 Nitrogen can be sepa- Capacity, 2007 rated from oxygen Estimated Oil & Gas Reservoir 1,000 Tons 3,093,000 3,753,000 1,568,000 8 before combustion, Storage Resources by cryogenics or oth- 1 http://eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/page/acr/table26.html) er technology, which 2 http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profi les.cfm?sid=PA then has an impact on 3 http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profi les.cfm?sid=OH burners and operat- 4 http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profi les.cfm?sid=WV ing temperatures of 5 http://eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profi les/pennsylvania.html (Table 4) equipment. Nitrogen 6 http://eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profi les/ohio.html (Table 4) can also be separated 7 http://eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profi les/west_virginia.html (Table 4) after combustion, 8 http://netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/refshelf/atlasII/2008%20ATLAS_MRCSP.pdf (pg 52) using different tools,
6 Pittsburgh ENGINEER which when properly done has minimal impact on up- and sequestration of carbon dioxide. At the Pittsburgh stream processes. and Morgantown research sites, NETL has 607 federal According to statistics published by the Department of employees and 680 site support contractors, for a total of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, coal fi red 1,287 employees. power plants are the source of most of the CO2 generated One result of NETL’s activity in carbon dioxide man- in the tri-state area. Table 1 excerpts some of this data, and agement is the annual “Carbon Capture and Sequestration summaries of some CO2 capture and sequestration activi- Conference,” held in Pittsburgh, and sponsored by NETL ties in the tri-state area follow the Table. and industry leaders. Over 700 people attended last year’s conference. The next conference is scheduled for May 10- National Energy Technology Laboratory 13, 2010. The center of this carbon dioxide capture and sequestra- NETL conducts research at its own laboratories, and tion activity is the U.S. Department of Energy’s National sponsors or collaborates on research at area universities, Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). NETL’s mission through the Institute for Advanced Energy Studies (IAES), is to implement a research, development, and demon- a virtual applied basic research entity within NETL’s stration program to resolve the environmental, supply, Offi ce of Research and Development. These universities and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil include: Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, West resources. Virginia University, and Pennsylvania State University. NETL’s primary Carbon Sequestration research and NETL is also involved in geological and terrestrial development (R&D) objectives are to lower the cost and demonstrations for storing carbon dioxide. As part of energy penalty associated with CO2 capture from large this initiative, NETL has formed regional partnerships of point sources and improve the understanding of factors state agencies, universities, private companies and non- affecting CO2 storage permanence, capacity, and safety in governmental organizations. The tri-state area is part of geologic formations and terrestrial ecosystems. the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Two of NETL’s fi ve locations are in the tri-state area: (MRCSP), headquartered at Battelle in Columbus, OH. Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV. These two cen- Activities in the tri-state area include: demonstrations ters focus on coal and power systems and also capture of soil carbon sequestration techniques in Clearfi eld and
Fall 2009 7 Union capture, energy effi ciency and benefi cial reuse of carbon Counties, dioxide, and $70 million related to geological sequestra- and seven tion. Accordingly, our local NETL offi ces should be busy sites in for some time. neighboring Ohio, and Academia geologic Area universities are focusing on energy, carbon cap- fi eld demon- ture and sequestration, and related environmental is- strations in sues. Much activity is sponsored by NETL, through the association IAES. A consortium initially comprised of West Virginia with carbon University in Morgantown, University of Pittsburgh, and capture proj- Carnegie Mellon University has been expanded to include Figure 1: Truck mounted seismic energy source at ects. work in Indiana County Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and Virginia To date, Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). NETL has Area universities have responded to the demand for focused on oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, carbon management solutions through the establishment of and deep saline formations for sequestration. Basalt various institutions. The University of Pittsburgh’s Center formations and organic rich shales are also candidates for for Energy has a mandate that includes carbon manage- study. In the tri-state area, the focus is on oil and gas res- ment, clean coal technology research, and related energy issues. Other examples include: Penn State’s Energy ervoirs and terrestrial sequestration (uptake of the carbon Institute, WVU’s National Research Center for Coal & dioxide by soils and plants). Energy, and CMU’s Climate Decision Making Center, As an outcome of the American Recovery and funded by the National Science Foundation. Reinvestment Act of 2009, NETL has $3.4 billion of addi- Related activity includes the Annual International tional budget, including $1.52 billion for industrial carbon Pittsburgh Coal Conference, hosted by the University of international bridge conference®
2010Seeking Call Quality For Presentations Papers for an Educated Audience of Bridge Practitioners
Abstract Submittal Deadline: October 1, 2009
on-line Abstract Submittal at www.eswp.com/bridge IBC 2010: June 6-9, 2010 Pittsburgh, PA USA Pittsburgh, 2010 June 6-9, IBC 2010:
8 Pittsburgh ENGINEER Pittsburgh. This is the 26th year for the conference, which Aviation and Transportation will be held September 20 – 23, 2009. Design-Build-Operate Drinking Water Environmental Management Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Facilities and Geotechnical Engineering Information Management Natural Resources Wastewater As Ohio and West Virginia pursue carbon sequestra- Water Resources tion sites in the vicinity of carbon dioxide emitters, ® Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural 5 Resources (DCNR) is considering a centralized collection and storage system. ® In the fi rst phase of this activity, DCNR’s Bureau of Awww.cdm.com Topographic and Geologic Survey has awarded ARM Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Geophysics of Hershey, PA, a contract to conduct seismic 412 201-5500 surveys to evaluate the potential of geological formations 4 for carbon dioxide storage. carbon dioxide content than fl ue gas from a coal fi red On August 18, 2009, seismic survey work is to begin power plant. Some issues to be dealt with include reduc- in Indiana and Westmoreland counties, move to Schuylkill tion of parasitic loads, commercial scale-up, and materials County and then on to the Lancaster area. In Indiana engineering. Laboratory study is ongoing, but pilot and County, the trucks will work along roads in Armstrong, demonstration scale projects are underway in various loca- Blacklick, Center, Conemaugh and Young townships, tions domestically and globally. and in Derry and Loyalhanna townships in Westmoreland Within the tri-state area, along the Ohio River valley, County. we fi nd three demonstration projects: The subsurface strata will be characterized with high resolution geophysical technologies including: mobile 1. American Electric Power’s (AEP’s) Mountaineer Plant, non-explosive seismic energy source(s) capable of gen- New Haven, WV, erating up to 2 million lbs - force of energy, wireless and southwest of Park- cabled geophones, and imaging software to produce cross ersburg, WV, AEP’s sections depicting strata, fractures, discontinuities and 1300 MW Mountain- other features to 10,000 to 30,000 feet. eer Plant is the site of DCNR is focusing on rock in the six thousand to the nation’s fi rst ma- 10 thousand foot range, below formations such as the jor research project Marcellus shale; the focus of recent drilling for natural evaluating geologic gas. Depths below 10,000 feet are of interest in that there disposal of carbon may be fractures or discontinuities that represent a path for dioxide. Projects at escape. this site include: • With Alstom, The initial seismic work is to screen potential CO2 sequestration sites. Promising areas will be investigated an equipment and more thoroughly. To this end, DCNR is seeking Federal services provider for funding for deep drilling to begin in late 2010. DCNR is the power industry, also looking closely at key legal questions such as owner- AEP has developed ship of pore space, risks and risk mitigation. a 30 MW product Figure 2: Powerspan Corp.’s ECO2®pilot validation plant to test unit at FirstEnergy’s R.E. Burger Plant Pennsylvania’s goal is to create a carbon dioxide trans- in Shadyside, OH. The 1 MW carbon dioxide portation system with a single large carbon dioxide storage capture 110 thousand capture system is to the left. The pilot unit facility. This will involve multiple boreholes and com- tons of carbon draws fl ue gas downstream of Powerspan’s pressors operating at high pressures to inject supercritical dioxide per year 50 MW ECO® multi-pollutant control unit, from fl ue gas using which is the shorter, wider column to the carbon dioxide underground. The Clinton Foundation is right. currently negotiating with potential business partners who Alstom’s chilled would use the system. ammonia and thermal swing absorption technology. Operations are scheduled Demonstration Projects to begin in October. The Alstom technology involves Carbon dioxide capture technology has been commercial- chilling fl ue gas to 35 F, and capturing carbon dioxide ized for well fi eld acid gas, landfi ll gas, digester gas and through conversion of ammonium carbonate to ammonium other streams. These streams are generally characterized bicarbonate with a variety of possible side reactions. These by lower volume, lower temperature, and have higher reactions are reversed with heating, releasing carbon
Fall 2009 9 dioxide and moisture. control on Unit 5 (463 MW) including:
• In an associated effort, a carbon sequestration • Coal combustion in air, followed by CO2 separation research project supported by the Battelle Memorial with an amine based absorption/stripping process. In this Institute and MRCSP will investigate storage of carbon process, amine carbamate or bicarbonates are formed, as dioxide emissions in underlying deep saline aquifers. well as side reactions, which are reversed by heating. • Coal combustion in air with oxygen removal and CO 2. First Energy, RE Berger Plant, Berger, Oh. 2 Located near Shadyside, Oh., FirstEnergy’s R. E. Burger separation by amines. Plant produces 413 MW of electricity. Carbon manage- Conclusion ment projects at this site include: The carbon capture and sequestration problem is an • A preliminary geologic characterization and intriguing one. There are signifi cant but surmountable sequestration fi eld test, which highlighted some of the problems to be resolved; in particular, reduction of para- challenges of CO sequestration. 2 sitic loads, commercial scale-up and materials engineering • Powerspan, a provider of air pollution control issues. Information from the current projects will con- technology for coal-fi red power plants, has a 1 MW ECO2 tribute to the process of generating safe, viable solutions. pilot unit installed downstream of a 50 MW Powerspan Subsurface sequestration may be challenging: with respect ECO multi-pollutant control unit. The Powerspan carbon to verifi cation, health and safety concerns, and emerging dioxide capture technology has similar chemistry to the legal issues. Once the legal and regulatory issues have Alsom process, involving heat-reversible conversion of been resolved, it is just one more problem that engineers ammonium carbonate to ammonium bicarbonate with will solve. PE a variety of possible side reactions. However, there are differences; for example, the Powerspan capture step Don Olmstead has 30 years of engineering experience. He has worked in operates at 120 F. equipment fabrication, environmental consulting, design and construction, 3. AEP Conesville, OH, located near Cambridge, OH, holds a Bachelors engineering degree from the University of Guelph, Ontario, and a Masters degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He can the AEP power plant has tested several options for CO2 be reached at (412)231-5890 x 302 or at [email protected].
We can help your next wind project pay for itself. And we’ll show you how in black and white. : At MSE, we consistently complete wind projects in up to 50% less time than other EPC companies. Which helps * explain why we’re responsible for connecting nearly a quarter of all wind power currently on line in the U.S. How much can MSE’s efficiency return to your bottom line? Just visit www.msepower.com/pe and use our ’t even include the added benefit of tax credits) project calculator to find out. Then call ( And we didn us so we can start enhancing your ROI :
877.426.0333. cents/kwh power sales price of 4 pacity factor and * Assuming 30% ca
MSE is a member of the Crompton Greaves family of companies, the 5th largest T&D manufacturer worldwide.
10 Pittsburgh ENGINEER HHistoryistory ofof U.S.U.S. WWindpowerindpower By Mark Scher Late 1970’s – 1980’s capacity in the country was 2511 MW in 1999. Cost of The fi rst commercial development of windpower in the US wind generation had decreased to approximately $ 0.12 / began in California in the late 1970’s. The typical turbine kWh. The US government changed the incentive strategy sizes at this time were 10 – 25 kW each. These were con- from subsidies to the current model of a production tax nected together in clusters of 1 – 2 MW and connected to credit (PTC), which only rewarded projects that actually local utility distribution circuits. By the mid - late 1980’s, produced power and made the rewards proportional with individual turbine sizes had grown to 100 – 250 kW. the amount of power produced. Turbines were connected together in clusters of 5 – 10 MW and connected to minor utility transmission circuits Current Decade at 69 and 115 kV. Total installed wind capacity in the US Wind development spread to many other states. MW class was 10 MW in 1981 and 1400 MW in 1989. Cost of wind turbines are introduced (current turbine size is 1.5 – 3 generation was approximately $ 0.25 / kWh (costs vary MW). The development of large transmission connected regionally). Heavy government subsidies were required projects becomes commonplace, 100 – 400 MW projects for these projects to succeed. are not unusual. Total installed US capacity is 29,440 MW as of July 1, 2009. Cost of wind generation has decreased 1990’s to approximately $ 0.05 / kWh. The US government The fi rst ‘utility scale’ (40 – 50 MW) wind projects were changes tax incentive plant to allow project developers installed in Southern California and the fi rst projects to chose between the PTC and a smaller investment tax were installed in Texas and Minnesota. Typical individual credit (ITC), which they can take during the development turbine size grew to 400 – 750 kW and total installed wind of a project.
U.SWindPowerCapacity,Annual&Cumulative(MW)
18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
NetAnnual 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Cumulative 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
Fall 2009 11 Wind U.S. Wind Resource Map the wind power Integration: generated in Palm Why Isn’t Springs better fi ts local consump- There More tion patterns, so Windpower wind generation in the US can be a higher Today? percentage of This question total generation has many an- in the area. The swers, but there biggest problem are three that with an intermit- seem to be the tent resource is most prominent the capacity of the are primarily electrical trans- transmission re- mission system in lated, they are: any given region. • Wind is an It is widely pub- intermittent licized that the resource US transmission • Wind system capacity is stretched thin due resources Source: AWS Truewind are to lack of invest- not always located properly to utilize existing ment in expansion transmission for several years. Transmission capacity is a valuable com- • Technical challenges wind creates for the modity to the utilities who own them and they are reluc- transmission grid tant to dedicate large chunks of this capacity to a generat- ing resource that will only use the lines part of the time. Wind is an Intermittent Resource In addition to the problem of line capacity utilization, As common sense would indicate, the wind doesn’t blow grid operators need to assure that adequate generation 100% of the time, and when it does, it doesn’t always resources are available to serve the demand at all times. blow at the same speed. Obviously, the amount of power Uncertainty of the amount of power that wind generators that can be generated by a wind plant at any given time can produce at any given time in the future creates a need depends on the wind speed at that time. Windpower for the grid operators (such as PJM) to increase spinning developers take great care in siting their projects in areas generation reserve margins, which in turn increases the that maximize the power that can be generated by the costs of providing power to customers. Most new wind wind resource. Despite this fact, wind generation currently plants collect meteorological data from the plant location installed in the US has an average annual “capacity factor” and have the ability to transmit that data to the grid opera- ranging from 20% to 50%. The average annual capac- tor. Emerging software technologies allow grid operators ity factor of a wind plant is defi ned as the ratio of actual to accurately forecast wind plant output in the day-ahead kWh produced over a year to the multiplied product of time frame once the software has collected enough data. the plant size (in kW) times the number of hours in a year. The result of this is that grid operators will have enhanced For example, a 200 MW wind plant with a capacity factor capability to optimize transmission line usage and spin- of 30% will generate as many kWh as a fossil or nuclear ning reserve margins. plant rated 60 MW. In addition to this, it is important to understand the coincidence of the peak wind resource and Wind Resources are Not Always Located Properly to the peak demand for electricity in the area. For example, Utilize Existing Transmission in upstate NY the wind resource peaks at night during Once the power is generated by a wind plant, it obviously the winter months, yet electricity demand peaks in the needs to be transmitted to end users of electricity. Since afternoon during the summer months. However in the wind plants require very large areas of land, and must be Palm Springs, California area, the wind resource peaks located within an adequate wind resource area, they tend in the afternoon during summer months, which coincides not to be located adjacent to population centers. In fact, exactly with peak demand for electricity. Despite the fact the areas where wind resources are often located in areas that these areas have similar capacity factors statistically, where the electrical transmission system is weak and has
12 Pittsburgh ENGINEER little capacity. This is one of the most severe limitations to the amount of windpower that can be added to the US generation portfolio. There are technologies that can be applied to existing transmission systems to mitigate this problem, but the only way to overcome the problem is to add signifi cant new transmission, a prospect that is costly and takes several years to realize. There are several new transmission projects in the planning process, but several more are needed to support the full potential penetration of US windpower. Technical Challenges Wind Energy Creates for the Transmission Grid In addition to the above mentioned issues, wind genera- tion also causes additional concerns for transmission owners because of the nature of the generators them- selves. Because of the frequent and wide ranging swings in wind speed, current wind generators are almost exclusively induction type machines as opposed to the synchronous machines employed for typical fossil or nuclear generation. A detailed technical description of power transfer concepts is beyond the scope of this article. For the purpose of this article, let’s say that power is made up of two components, real power, which is the power that actually does work (measured in watts) and reactive power (measured in vars), which is the component that supports the system voltage, thus allowing power to be transmitted along a line. Without adequate reactive power, the transmission system voltage will collapse operators need to be assured that the wind plants will stay and no power can be transmitted. Synchronous genera- on line during grid disturbances. This needed functional- tors, by their nature produce reactive power that can be ity is called “Low Voltage Ride Through” and is a feature controlled independently of the real power output of the integrated into most new wind turbines sold after January system. Induction generators have no inherent capability 1, 2008. to produce reactive power in any way. Many newer wind generators have integral power electronics systems to The Path Forward: How Much Windpower Can provide reactive power support. Other manufacturers do the U.S. Expect? not provide such support and leave it up to the wind plant There has been an ongoing national debate about maxi- designer to design a reactive power compensation system. mizing renewable energy utilization. Wind power current- If the turbines have no compensation systems or do ly accounts for approximately 1% of US electricity gen- not provide adequate compensation then free-standing eration. The American Wind Energy Association believes reactive power compensation systems are installed at the that this number can be increased to 20% by the year interconnect substation. These can range anywhere from 2030. This level of wind penetration will require a signifi - simple switched capacitor banks to power electronic based cant investment in transmission upgrades and additions. dynamic compensation system depending on the needs of Given a more modest transmission investment scenario, a the grid operator at he project interconnect location. total of 10% appears to be a conservative estimate. Even Another major challenge for grid operators is the fact in the more conservative case, this means that the installed that since wind generation systems have now grown to base of wind generation will increase by tenfold over the next 20 years. This will make windpower easily the fastest be much larger, it is important for them to remain on the PE grid during grid disturbances, such as a short circuit on a growing market segment in power generation. transmission line not directly connected to the plant. In the early days of windpower, grid operators wanted wind Mark Scher, P.E., is the Chief Executive Offi cer of MSE Power generators to trip off line whenever there was a grid distur- Systems, Inc., based in Albany, NY. He may be reached at 518- bance. Now that the wind plants are much larger, the grid 452-7718 x1104, or by e-Mail at: [email protected]. MSE is Member of the Crompton Greaves Family of Companies.
Fall 2009 13 SSOLAROLAR POWERPOWER SSHININGHINING BBRIGHTRIGHT IINN WWESTERNESTERN PPENNSYLVANIAENNSYLVANIA
labeg Solar US Corporation, part of a worldwide to other major metro areas. In addition, Allegheny County specialty glass coating group, has developed a full has excellent University systems that partner with various Fproduct line of high performance mirrors for con- industries and their technology center promotes cutting- centrating solar power (CSP) and other solar technologies, edge businesses. Flabeg Solar US Corporation believes including parabolic trough, power tower, linear Fresnel Allegheny County has an extremely skilled work force, and dish applications. Their parent company, Flabeg, is which will be utilized in an effort to fi nd employees for headquartered in Nuernberg, Germany and is comprised the 200 jobs Flabeg Solar US Corporation is creating at of three core competencies: automotive mirrors, techni- the Clinton Commerce Park. cal glass and CSP mirrors. Flabeg Solar US Corporation The dependency on fossil fuels in the United States will begin production in the greater Pittsburgh area of the has brought forth the critical need for the development of number one-rated high performance solar thermal mirrors renewable energy sources. Flabeg Solar US Corporation’s in the Fall of 2009. Flabeg is the only solar company that technology helps to reduce the effects of climate change. has a proven track record of over 30 years. Flabeg Solar Solar power is the most developed and the most widely US Corporation’s facility will be approximately 230,000 available of renewable energy sources and almost any square feet and the main operations will consist of pre- individual can use solar energy to reduce their means of cision bending, tempering, silvering, coating, and fi nal traditional energy consumption. There are two main types assembly. of harvesting solar power, solar thermal and photovol- Flabeg Solar US Corporation chose western taic. Concentrating solar power systems produce heat and Pennsylvania as their business location for a number of electricity using thousands of mirrors to concentrate the reasons. Allegheny County is a leader in developing Green sun’s rays. By concentrating solar energy it is possible Economic businesses and has established a program to in- to achieve higher temperatures resulting in better effi - vest in the pre-development of “brown” and “green” sites ciency and reduced costs. The greatest advantage of solar for future businesses. In addition, Allegheny County has power is that it has a massive renewable source, the sun. excellent infrastructure: the major interstate road system Concentrating solar power systems, typically located in ar- and an international airport. Allegheny County Executive, eas with high solar radiation, can operate either by produc- Dan Onorato, has worked tirelessly with his team to assist ing electricity immediately, storing heat, or in combination and promote new and existing businesses as follows: site with other fossil fuels making power available at times search, grant application and low interest loans to facili- when the sun is not shining. tate expansion and green site projects. The Allegheny According to the joint report done by the Greenpeace, Conference adds incremental support to develop new European Solar Thermal Electricity Association and IEA businesses. The low cost of living is favorable compared SolarPACES, in the last fi ve years, the concentrating solar
14 Pittsburgh ENGINEER power industry has rapidly expanded and the newly- introduced technology has now become a mass-pro- For PPG duced, mainstream energy generation to reduce carbon and Wind footprint. The joint report states that concentrating power system installations were providing 436 MW Energy of the world’s electricity at the end of 2008. Projects – it’s a under construction in Spain will add at least another 1,000 MW by 2011 and in the USA, projects adding up (Glass) to further 7,000 MW are under planning and develop- Material ment. The joint report projects that with advanced industry development and high effi ciency levels, CSP World could reach up to 7% of the world’s power needs by 2030. Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries is using its The cost of concentrated solar thermal electricity is strength as a fi ber glass manufacturer to foster growth decreasing rapidly and many developers say that it will in the wind energy industry. PPG is focused on not be cost competitive with the thermal generation from only on increasing the number of windmills installed, mid-sized gas plants. The factors which affect the cost but also the size of the units, as doubling the diameter of CSP are: local solar radiation, technology improve- of the rotor produces a four-fold increase in the rotor’s ments, mass production, economies of scale, grid con- sweep — and the power it generates. As a result, the nection, local infrastructure, and project development size of wind turbines has been increasing around the costs. Adding more CSP systems to the grid can help world. The average turbine was rated at 1.7 MW in the keep the costs of electricity stable as fuel scarcity and United States last year. Companies have built individ- carbon costs take effect across the world’s economy. ual wind turbines as large as 6 MW, with rotors of 413 feet in diameter and blades measuring about 200 feet “The cost of concentrated solar long. But building bigger blades increases the mass, which is proportional to the cube of its blade length, thermal electricity is decreasing rapidly the maximum blade length is limited by the strength and...will be cost competitive” and stiffness of its material. To accommodate the in- dustry’s appetite for large, lightweight blades, PPG The fi rst commercial solar plants built in California produces fi ber glass, which is the main reinforcement in the 1980’s are living proof of the high quality, ef- in the large mega-watt class wind blades. The fi ber fi ciency, and durability of Flabeg’s products. Since the glass gives the hollow blades necessary strength and introduction of SEGS 1 in the USA in 1982, Flabeg’s stiffness while allowing them to remain lightweight. mirrors have provided 1,394 MW (approx. 1,115,000 The fi bers are held together with polymer resins to homes) to the world today. Highly refl ective, silver- produce fi ber reinforced composite. PPG has devel- coated mirrors result in a refl ector that concentrates the oped technology that delivers greater tensile strength solar radiation onto a focal line. The parabolic mirrors (fl exibility), compressive strength (stiffness), and fa- are designed to track the sun along one axis and it is tigue strength (durability). Choosing the right type of commercially proven, that they are the most mature of glass fi ber is important, but equally critical has been CSP technologies. Flabeg offers more than 30 years of fi nding the right combination of chemicals with which experience in this process and has achieved a standard to coat the fi bers. To promote strong bonding, glass of excellence for the production of solar mirrors by fi bers 16 microns in diameter (about ½ the diameter a proprietary bending process, which results in the of a human hair) are coated with 50 to 100 nanome- highest possible degree of precision. Modern bending ters (200 times thinner than a human hair) of “sizing” techniques guarantee maximum precision and optical that includes polymers, adhesion promoters and lubri- quality for the greatest energy output in concentrated cants. PPG has introduced new products to the wind solar power technology. Only three percent difference market that are strong, fl exible and have outstanding in optical performance result in a gain or loss of tens of durability. Designing new wind products requires a millions of income over a 20 year operation period of a materials approach and takes time, since proving out 50 MW solar power plant. the high durability requires mechanical testing a part A power tower has the ability to convert the sun’s more than a million load cycles to see meaningful re- rays into clean electricity for the world’s electricity sults. This is PPG’s strength as an engineered materi- grids. This particular type of technology allows the als company; delivering solutions that enable energy. thousands of sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) to focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tower. Water in PE
Fall 2009 15 GGoldold LLevelevel CCorporateorporate MMemberember FFirmsirms
Orbital Engineering, Inc.
SSilverilver LLevelevel CCorporateorporate MMemberember FFirmsirms
Uhde Corporation
16 Pittsburgh ENGINEER BBronzeronze LLevelevel CCorporateorporate MMembersembers
Zell Engineers
Fall 2009 17 this receiver is used to produce steam, which is used in a conventional turbine-generator to produce electricity. Linear Fresnel systems focus sunlight in one dimension. They are used in concentrating solar thermal (CSP) and low concen- tration photovoltaic applications. Parabolic dish concentra- tors are individual units that have a motor-generator which is mounted at the focal point of the refl ector. This generator can be based on a Stirling engine or a small gas turbine. Due to the size of the parabolic dishes, they are well-suited for decentralized power supply and stand-alone power systems. Flabeg demonstrates superior fl exibility by providing their customers with concentrating solar power technolo- gies, such as: parabolic trough, power tower, linear Fresnel, and dish applications. Flabeg’s market leadership is shown by a proven track record and they are committed to supply- ing their customers with innovative solar mirrors in order to provide concentrating solar power for the world. Flabeg Solar US Corporation will continue to invest in technolo- gies to advance CSP applications for the world’s future as demonstrated in its new facility in Clinton Commerce Park. PE Lisa Metcalfe, is the Marketing Coordinator of Flabeg US Solar Corporation. She may be reached at 412-928-4984
PRECISION SOLAR MIRRORS FOR YOUR CSP NEEDS— SOLAR ENERGY FOR OUR FUTURE
Flabeg Solar US Corporation 2201 Sweeney Drive Clinton, PA 15026 412-928-4984 www.flabeg.com
18 Pittsburgh ENGINEER ESWP Career Awareness News
he Career Awareness Committee of the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania has been Tvery active, introducing several new programs aimed towards “educating the next generation.” In ad- dition to the mainstay programs of the program, ACE Mentoring, Future Cities and Chain Reaction Contraption Competitions, ESWP has recently signed on to several new initiatives. Pittsburgh Public Schools The Design Squad In June of this year, ESWP entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pittsburgh Public ESWP has also agreed to be the prime sponsor of Schools (PPS) Career and Technical Education Division. Design SquadTM program, in partnership with WQED Under this agreement, ESWP will act as a resource for Multimedia. Design SquadTM is an interactive, hands-on career and curriculum guidance in many of the programs program designed to increase student’s interest in engi- that PPS provides. To date, ESWP members participated neering by showcasing real-life applications of engineer- in the “Educator in the Workplace” program, whereby ing. This program is original content created by WGBH PPS teachers spend three days out of the classroom and in Boston, and is the basis for the television show of the in the workplace of a host. Although only the fi rst time same name that airs locally on WQED. The content of the that PPS has offered such a program, a number of teachers program is being introduced to the Pittsburgh region for participated in a variety of workplaces, including Miroslav the fi rst time, for middle school students. In addition to Kuchta, Robotics teacher from Peabody High School fi nancial sponsorship, ESWP will provide mentors to work who has been with the PPS for fourteen years. “Mike’s” with students. 3-day journey included visits to PennDOT, Siemens Environmental Services, CSD Engineers, and Loftus Smart Futures Engineers. By all accounts, the visit was very educational Only in the development stages, ESWP is working and informative for Mike, and will help with an under- with Smart Futures e-mentoring program. This program standing of the engineering workplace. (Thanks to ESWP allows ESWP mentors to mentor on-line with high school members Daniel Cessna and Daniel Tis for accommodat- students to help with post-secondary and career choice ing this program in their workplaces.) decisions. Through a simple screening process, mentors In addition to the Educator in the Workplace program, are matched with students and provide guidance over the ESWP also serves on the PPS Occupational Advisory course of a school semester. A formal call for mentors will Committee, and represents the engineering profession be posted soon, so please consider participating in this among the group. This Committee assists the PPS in exciting program. developing best practices curriculum that will enable students to prepare for a broad range of careers, includ- For more information on ways to contribute, please con- ing engineering, architecture and related professions. tact the ESWP offi ces. Dr. Deb Lange, ESWP 1st Vice-President is the ESWP SNC-Lavalin America delegate on the committee (several other ESWP mem- 6585 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 bers also serve on this Committee as representatives of (412) 363-9000 their respective fi rms). Within the Committee is a group interested specifi cally in the engineering profession. The Engineering Advisory group held its summer meeting at Taylor Allderdice High School with ESWP members Glenn Avick, Tammi Halapin, Mike Roarty, Daniel Tis, and Charles Toran in attendance. The group meets directly with educators and academic counselors to comment on curriculum, and serve as a resource. Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management
Metals • Chemicals • Refining • Glass • Utilities • Environmental
Fall 2009 19 CONSOL Energy: a company profile
ennsylvania’s coal industry has had a long and varied history since early Psettlers fi rst starting harvesting the resource in 1760 along the banks of the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh. Today, CONSOL Energy Inc. is Pennsylvania’s largest coal producer, annually mining more than 20 million tons of coal from Longwall mining systems are the safest and most productive method of underground two of the largest underground coal mines in coal mining. CONSOL Energy is the U.S. leader in the use of such systems. the world: Bailey and Enlow Fork, both located in Greene County, in the southwestern portion million tons of coal and other products, and recently of the commonwealth. completed two million work hours without an injury over In addition, CNX Gas Corporation, a CONSOL Energy a two-year period. company, is among the largest natural gas producers in In addition, CONSOL Energy operates the largest Pennsylvania, and is the largest producer of natural gas research and development facilities devoted exclusively in the Appalachian Basin, with 2,600 wells connected by to coal and energy production and utilization. Located in more than 1,000 miles of pipeline. Each year, CNX Gas a suburb of Pittsburgh, CONSOL R&D also focuses on produces enough natural gas to heat more than 760,000 energy development programs. Among their projects are: homes. improving energy effi ciency, reducing greenhouse gases And they do it safely: employees of CNX Gas worked by capturing and selling methane-gas and storing carbon more than 3.5 million exposure hours without a lost-time dioxide in unmineable coal seams, improving coal blends incident, making it the safest operator in the gas explora- for steel making, reducing power plant emissions, produc- tion and production industry. ing electricity from by-products and researching various CNX Gas increased production by 32 percent in 2008, coal-to-liquids technologies. producing a daily net of 245 million cubic feet of pipeline- Founded in 1860 when several western Maryland coal quality coalbed methane for commercial use. producers decided to “consolidate” their properties to form CNX Gas’s fi rst horizontal Marcellus Shale well in the Consolidation Coal Company, a predecessor com- Pennsylvania began producing at a rate of 6.5 million pany, CONSOL Energy is a high-Btu bituminous coal and cubic feet (MMcf) per day in December of 2008. This is natural gas company and is a member of the Standard & a daily production rate record for any well in company Poor’s 500. CONSOL annually produces nearly 70 million history. tons of coal from 16 mining complexes in six states and Overall, CONSOL reports proven and probable Energy has nearly 2,400 em- “...Coal and natural gas account for coal reserves of 4.5 billion ployees that live and work about 70 percent of the electricity produced tons. CNX Gas holds proved in Pennsylvania, accounting reserves of more than 1.4 tril- for more than $550 million the United States” lion cubic feet. in salaries and benefi ts and Nationally, CONSOL federal, state and local taxes paid, as well as $300 million Energy has nearly 8,200 employees throughout its coal annually in goods and services purchased and used. mining and support operations, gas production facilities, CONSOL maintains a fl eet of 25 towboats and 750 industrial supply locations and land resources units. barges and is one of the largest commodity shippers Today, as back in the 18th Century, coal and gas users along the inland waterways in the United States. In 2008, are seeking one thing: energy. Energy in the form of heat, CONSOL Energy’s river division shipped a record 23.6 either to generate electricity, help to forge steel or to heat
20 Pittsburgh ENGINEER OUR BACKLOG IS GROWING. OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT. Our Outstanding Engineers Are Essential.
We are ACTIVELY HIRING for:f Civil Engineers :: Geotechnical Engineers :: Structural Engineers :: Seismic Engineers :: Geologists :: Hydrogeologists :: Hydrologists
Positions range from Internships to Entry and Senior Level. Please Send Resumes To: [email protected] or contact Jessica Stouffer at (412) 856-9700, Extension 1081. Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All responses are confidential.
25 PHONE (412) 856-9700 :: FAX (412) 856-9749 www.rizzoassoc.com
homes and to cook food. In fact, coal and natural gas ac- two times better than the industry average for underground count for about 70 percent of the electricity produced the coal mines. United States, both of which are fuels which CONSOL CONSOL’s production of approximately 65 million Energy provides. Worldwide, demand for both resources is tons of coal in 2008 accounted for about 6 percent of increasing. the total tons produced in the United States and approxi- “By many measures, 2008 was the strongest year in our mately 13 percent of the total tons produced east of the 145 year history,” said J. Brett Harvey, CONSOL Energy Mississippi River. president and chief executive offi cer. “Our results repre- Using 2008 as an example, 90 percent of CONSOL sented a confl uence of events, the most important of which Energy’s production came from underground mines and 10 was the globalization of demand for natural resources, percent from surface mines. Where the geology is favor- including coal, able and reserves which created, “Engineers have the first opportunity to ensure the are suffi cient, for the fi rst time CONSOL Energy in many years, a safety of employees by designing safe operating systems, employs longwall market in which prudent mining plans and layouts and employing increased mining systems in prices for coal in its underground the U.S market maintenance and control programs for mining equipment” mines. were being set by On an annual prices for coal internationally. basis, 84 percent of CONSOL’s coal production comes “We truly were connected to the world. This was all from mines equipped with longwall mining systems, the more signifi cant because U.S. exports of coal consti- which are the safest and most productive method of tute only about eight percent of total production.” underground coal mining. CONSOL Energy has substan- Historically, CONSOL Energy ranks among the larg- tial reserves readily suitable to these types of operations, est coal producers in the United States based upon total which are engineered to increase capacity at low incre- revenue, net income and operating cash fl ow. It is also one mental costs. of the safest, with an annual safety performance nearly In terms of its safety programs, at CONSOL Energy,
Fall 2009 21 “safety trumps everything” and the company is commit- CONSOL has postponed some of our gas drilling program ted to eliminating all injuries from every one of its opera- in areas deemed to be of higher risk. Third, the company tions. CONSOL enhances its safety performance in several has reduced staffi ng at both the operations and staff level ways, including extensive training programs, increased throughout the company. Finally, CONSOL has imposed emphasis on safety as a core value strict cash management procedures, among employees and the engi- including the deferral of some capital neering and structure of its opera- projects. tions. As for the challenges facing the To accomplish these safety energy industry in general, it is esti- goals, CONSOL Energy has mated that fossil fuels, such as coal conducted internal safety com- and natural gas, provide more than munications programs and ad- 80 percent of the world’s energy. In vanced engineering techniques particular, coal fuels almost 40 percent with a commitment to “engineered of electricity worldwide, and its use is safety” within mine and gas opera- A technician checks gauges at a CNX Gas Processing expected to increase dramatically over tion planning. CONSOL engineers Plant located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. the next few decades. But CONSOL have the fi rst opportunity to ensure believes it will take a dynamic stable the safety of employees by design- of various energy resources, includ- ing safe operating systems, prudent ing nuclear and renewable fuels, to mining plans and layouts and employ- “we are concerned meet the world’s voracious appetite for ing increased maintenance and control energy. programs for mining equipment at the that although Carbon In order to meet this demand producing face. Capture and Storage for coal and fossil fuels worldwide, Coal is transported from CONSOL (CCS) technologies may CONSOL Energy remains committed Energy’s mining complexes to cus- to exploring new ways to utilize these tomers by means of railroad cars, be commercially viable by vital coal and gas resources responsi- river barges, trucks, conveyor belts 2020, they will not yet be bly and while at the same time reason- or a combination of these means of ably meeting the goals of environmen- transportation. CONSOL employs deployed to a sufficient extent tal stewardship. transportation specialists who negoti- to avoid a serious impact “While we recognize the desire ate freight and equipment agreements of some to show progress on carbon with various transportation suppliers, on electricity prices and reduction by the end of the next de- including railroads, barge lines, ter- reliability.” cade,” said Steve Winberg, CONSOL minal operators, ocean vessel brokers Energy vice president – R&D dur- and trucking companies for certain ing recent testimony before a U.S. customers. Senate panel, “we are concerned CONSOL Energy’s coal export that although Carbon Capture and terminal at Baltimore celebrated Storage (CCS) technologies may be its 25th anniversary in 2008, and commercially viable by 2020, they has the capacity to handle 18 mil- will not yet be deployed to a suffi - lion tons of coal, annually. It is the cient extent to avoid a serious impact only East Coast terminal served by on electricity prices and reliability.” two railroads: Norfolk Southern Winberg called CCS technologies es- and CSX. CONSOL’s Baltimore sential to both the U.S. and the world Terminal shipped a record 9.1 mil- economies. lion tons of coal last year. Most of CONSOL Energy has its own fl eet of towboats and “Coal is our most abundant the coal, both CONSOL and third- barges that move coal and other commodities along domestic energy resource and we party, was destined for the Atlantic the inland waterways. need sustained investment in CCS market. technology and the time to develop, In view of the worldwide economic downturn, demonstrate and commercialize it,” he said. CONSOL Energy has taken several steps to weather this While CCS technologies will enable the U.S. to reduce economic storm. First, CONSOL has closed or idled coal carbon emissions, these technologies also can be exported mines in order to ensure that we match production with to developing countries to help them reduce emissions as sales, thereby avoiding a buildup of inventory. Second, well, he said. He said that unilateral greenhouse gas reduc-
22 Pittsburgh ENGINEER tions by the U.S. will have little to no impact on atmo- spheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses if carbon Delivering Scientific Resolution restrictions are not made elsewhere in the world. Winberg said it is likely that the U.S. will fi nd itself at a signifi cant global disadvantage should Congress force signifi cant reductions in US greenhouse gas emissions without providing suffi cient resources and adequate time to develop the technologies to achieve them. “Signifi cant CO2 reductions will not be achieved by substituting renewable energy for fossil energy, or In a world of scientific problems, you need an innovative team to help you find your way. by relying heavily on conservation,” he noted, saying fossil fuels will remain a signifi cant part of the world’s Contact RJLG’s President and COO Alex Sciulli at 800-860-1775. energy portfolio for years to come. “Regulating carbon Visit us at www.rjlg.com. will impact the food we grow, the fabrics in the clothes we wear and the shingles in the roof over our head.” South American and European steel producers who are On the economic front, which is the focus of the methodically restarting previously idled blast furnaces Pittsburgh Summit, the U.S. economy continued to and coking operations.” contract in the second quarter driven by a decrease in Mr. Harvey concluded, “Although there is still much industrial production in the manufacturing sector. This uncertainty in the economy, certain leading economic has led to a reduction in electricity generation, thereby indicators have shown improvement. We believe that negatively impacting demand and consumption of as the overall economy improves, coal production steam coal and natural gas. Milder weather this sum- cuts will have a profound impact on contract prices. mer in most areas of the U.S. has further exacerbated Furthermore, our low-cost position in coal and gas the demand situation which has resulted in higher than should enable us to outperform our peers during this normal coal stockpiles and gas storage levels across the bottoming process.” PE country. Many domestic coal companies have responded to the reduced coal demand by reducing production. Industry experts predict coal production will be reduced Leading the way in energy by at least 100 million tons in 2009. transition strategies that protect and restore the environment “Currently, the outlook is improving Pittsburgh is a center for research and development in energy and green manufacturing technologies of in the steel industry and we are the future and Carnegie Mellon University is proud cautiously optimistic regarding a to be involved with many of these efforts. The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental recovery in metallurgical coal demand Education and Research coordinates efforts of some 20 Carnegie Mellon research centers working to and pricing,” reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create “CONSOL Energy has a long history of being a dis- sustainable urban infrastructures and energy systems, ciplined producer,” Mr. Harvey noted. This year several restore the environment and improve the quality of life for future generations. other coal producers have also curtailed production due to market conditions. We believe that coal production Carnegie Mellon’s energy-focused centers include: the cuts will continue into next year and that this should Institute for Advanced Energy Solutions, the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, the Climate bode well for a sustained recovery in coal contract Decision Making Center, the Electricity Industry Center prices. and the Green Design Institute. “In addition, natural gas producers have rapidly We Welcome the World to Our Sustainable City! idled drilling rigs since the beginning of the economic downturn, with total active natural gas drilling rigs declining by more than 50 percent.” “Currently, the outlook is improving in the steel industry and we are cautiously optimistic regarding a The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, Hamburg Hall 1209, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, recovery in metallurgical coal demand and pricing,” Deb Lange 412-268-7121 www.cmu.edu/steinbrenner said Mr. Harvey. “We are seeing increased interest from Fall 2009 23 Your HDPE SPECIALISTS
PROVIDING
• Pipe & Pumping Systems • Certified Fusion Technicians • Fusion Equipment • Full Service Pump Sales - Service - Rental Department • Fittings and Valves • Complete Fabrication • Engineered HDPE Fabrication Capabilities • Certified McElroy Service • Largest HDPE Pipeyard Center in the North East PROVIDING PRODUCTS FOR: • Horizontal Directional • Water Distribution Drilling • Sewage/Waste Water • Pipe Bursting & Slip Lining Services • Water/River Crossing Emergency Services 24/7/365
1-800-353-37471-800-353-3747 www.leesupply.comwww.leesupply.com
24 Pittsburgh ENGINEERWE SUPPLY SOLUTIONS Can Pennsylvania Become the Natural Gas Capital?
By Matt Pitzarella
y now, most have heard of the Marcellus Shale development is expected to last a century or perhaps much formation. Trapped inside the rock a mile below longer. our surface could be the largest source of clean B An Emerging Giant burning natural gas in the country, spanning fi ve states including parts of West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and In 2004 Range Resources pioneered the development of almost all of Pennsylvania. Unconventional gas reserves the Marcellus with the successful completion of the Renz are now gaining interest across the globe as the rest of #1 well in Washington County. In December of 2007 the the world closely watches natural gas development in the company released production data from a series of wells, United States. generating the interest of Wall Street and the industry. According to reports from the Potential Gas Committee One month later, Engelder and Lash gave the world an and the United idea of how large States Department they believed the of Energy the Marcellus to be. United States now In 2008 the indus- has a 120-year try invested more supply of natural than $3 billion in gas, thanks largely the Marcellus as to breakthroughs natural gas prices like the Marcellus. neared record In fact, since 2006 highs. Even with reserves have gas prices at a frac- increased more tion of where they than 35% to 2,074 were, development trillion cubic in the Marcellus feet (Tcf), which continues. is equivalent to A recent study roughly 350 bil- from economic lion barrels of oil, and petroleum or about the same engineering profes- A Washington County farm, notice the small footprint at the top of the hill. as Saudi Arabia’s sors at Penn State oil reserves. University indicat- While no one knows just how much natural gas is in ed that by 2010 Marcellus development will create more the Marcellus, Professors of Geosciences Terry Engelder than 100,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania, provide an $8 of Penn State University and Gary Lash of the University billion annual economic impact, and generate more than of New York-Fredonia have indicated that the Marcellus $900 million in state and local taxes. The report also in- could contain as much as 516 Tcf of technically recover- dicates that the Marcellus is still in its infancy of develop- able natural gas – more than 20 years of all U.S. demand. ment and that the industry will take several years to fully Since other sources of natural gas will always be in mature. By 2012, Pennsylvania is expected to reverse its production and new discoveries will be made, Marcellus position as one of the largest importing states for natural Fall 2009 25 gas and become a net exporter. These jobs offer opportu- unconventional reservoirs, horizontal drilling allows for nities spanning from those with high school education or the maximum amount of the wellbore to be exposed to the less to highly advanced technical degrees. gas producing formation. In the Marcellus, a horizontal well can cost twice as much, but can produce more than Modern Technology four times the amount of gas and drasti- All of this activity didn’t happen cally reduce surface and environmental overnight. In fact, it took decades disturbances. to perfect. In many ways the tech- Hydraulic fracture stimulation has nology in modern natural gas de- roots dating back to 1903, but was velopment is second only to NASA fi rst commercially used in 1947. The and, in some instances, NASA has technology has since been used in the borrowed from the industry. While completion of nearly one million oil a number of factors and technologi- and natural gas wells in the United cal breakthroughs have contributed States alone. Nearly three million to the discovery and production pounds of steel and cement are used of new reserves, it has been the A piece of Marcellus Shale core used for research and in each horizontal wellbore to protect marriage of two technologies that testing. Notice the hydrocarbons literally bubble out fresh water aquifers and other forma- of the rock. have played the largest role in what tions. Fresh water and sand is pumped has been the biggest energy break- into the 8.5-inch wellbore to create a through of a generation –horizontal drilling and hydraulic network of nearly microscopic fractures, roughly the width fracture stimulation. of a sheet of paper, in the formation. The sand serves as a Horizontal drilling has become increasingly popular proppant, which allows gas to fl ow through the wellbore. in recent years, but the technology dates back to 1891, Technologies will continue to improve and advance, with the fi rst true horizontal well being drilled in 1929. and much of it will happen right here in Pennsylvania. The technology has since been perfected in more than 57 The future looks bright, and the Marcellus could fuel our countries. In many formations vertical wells are the most economy for generations and forever transform our na- economical means of extracting oil or natural gas. But in tion’s clean energy future. PE
Can the Marcellus Shale Fuel our Economy and Protect our Environment? By Matt Pitzarella
n today’s world it seems everyone must pick a side of every issue. IMany believe that the Marcellus Shale and natural Technology Laboratory, the Groundwater Protection gas can be seen as a win-win for the economy and the Council, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact environment. Natural gas is 10 times cleaner than coal Commission, which represents more than 30 state regu- and oil, and with landowners receiving lucrative leasing latory agencies: natural gas development is very safe, agreements and royalty checks, the Marcellus will help to environmentally sensitive with minimal impacts and very preserve and conserve rural communities, family farms well regulated. In the 60-year history of hydraulic fractur- and Pennsylvania’s countryside. ing and nearly one million wells, there are zero confi rmed But can this be developed without sacrifi cing our envi- cases of drinking water contamination. ronment for future generations? According to the Pennsylvania Department of As evidenced by several exhaustive reports from the Environmental Protection in a letter to the Groundwater United States Department of Energy, the National Energy Protection Council, the industry has a proven record of 26 Pittsburgh ENGINEER environmental excellence. Less than one tenth of one water immediately returns to the surface through a con- percent of the wells drilled in Pennsylvania result in any trolled series of pipes and storage units. The wastewater degree of water contamination. These rare instances are contains higher than usual levels of salts, mainly calcium typically from an accident such as a surface spill, operator chloride and some sodium chloride. Pennsylvania has error, equipment failure, etc. In those unlikely cases, it's ample treatment capacity for nearly a decade, but long even more rare that the incident results in negative impacts term solutions must be developed. In 2008, the industry on health or property. The and DEP formed a wastewa- industry and regulators work ter taskforce to address these together to incorporate best issues. Now nearly all of the management operating plans water is recycled and reused. so if these unlikely incidents Other solutions include as- occur the impacts are mini- similation, underground dis- mized and safely corrected. posal wells and evaporation Many agree that and crystallization, and are Pennsylvania has among all being further developed. the most stringent envi- ronmental programs in What About the the country. All aspects of Chemicals? natural gas development Many of the chemicals are closely regulated by the are organically based, and all Pennsylvania Department of of the chemicals are pub- Environmental Protection. lic information and can be Other regulatory agencies A reclaimed site in Washington County. The footprint is smaller found on the DEP’s website. than a one-car garage. have oversight depend- While there are a number ing on the circumstances of approved additives, most including the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, companies use about fi ve to complete a well. Collectively the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the Delaware these highly diluted additives make up anywhere from River Basin Commission, the Pennsylvania Department 0.05% - 0.5% of the injection – the remaining 99.95% is of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania fresh water and some sand. The exact same chemicals are Historical and Museum Commission, and in some instanc- a part of our everyday lives and are often either consumed es the United States Environmental Protection Agency. or applied directly to the skin in higher concentrations. Even still, they are tightly controlled and only injected Water and Water Resources through multiple layers of cemented steel casings to pro- Virtually all aspects related to water are covered in a tect freshwater aquifers. Because the chemicals used have water management plan that is a part of the drilling permit, a very specifi c purpose – biocide, for instance, is used to including where the water will come from, how the water eliminate bacteria from the wellbore and reduce water will be used and how the water will be treated. consumption – all of the chemicals are essentially spent Each horizontal well requires about four million gal- during the process. lons of fresh water. While that sounds high, it’s relatively For more information, visit the websites for your state low in relation to other water use. If Marcellus activity or federal regulators for accurate and unbiased information nearly tripled the expected peak drilling levels, the indus- on modern natural gas development. PE try would still represent less than one percent of the state’s daily water consumption of 10 billion gallons. At that dra- Matt Pitzarella is the Director of Public Affairs for matically increased rate, Marcellus development would be Range Resources - Appalachia, LLC. Mr. Pitzarella can be reached at less than half of the water usage for recreational purposes 724-873-3224 or by e-mail at [email protected] like golf courses and ski resorts. Water can be pumped from an approved body of water or can be purchased from a municipal water company. Water impoundments are strategically constructed within Read past issues of the the development and water is transferred to drill sites Pittsburgh ENGINEER through temporary pipes. This reduces truck traffi c and on-line at allows companies to control water usage during periods of www.eswp.com/publications high or low fl ow when local bodies of water can be at risk from fl oods or droughts. Once the water is injected, approximately 30% of the Fall 2009 27 PPathsaths toto thethe Future:Future: Research on Energy and Sustainability at Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering By James H. Garrett, Jr.
hen considering how to provide for future pow- is a major goal of many of er needs, there is no single answer. It will take a the faculty members and Wcombination of approaches and technologies. students in our depart- For the past 200 years or so, the developed world has ment. been living off the earth’s coal, oil and natural gas. But as Through CenSCIR, we have learned, the earth’s non-renewable resources are researchers are studying being permanently depleted and the process of doing so is and developing infra- also doing damage to our planet. structure-oriented sensor What’s to be done? Where will we fi nd enough clean, systems, data models and abundant energy to power the world for future genera- management strategies tions? Where will we fi nd enough skilled engineers to and intelligent decision create a sustainable future? support systems to help In the labs and classrooms of Carnegie Mellon’s detect problematic con- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ditions in complex and (CEE), researchers are studying everything from the think aging infrastructure net- blue envelope of air that swaths our planet to the use of works allowing them to be Burcu Akinci switchgrass to help curb U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. addressed earlier and more They are urging companies to embrace new methods for cost effectively. following the trail of carbon emissions linked to global Americans spend more than 4 billion hours a year stuck warming. They have found that cap and trade emissions in traffi c at a cost of $78.2 billion or $710 per motorist, ac- policies will not be suffi cient enough to put the nation cording to a 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure back on track to achieve a 50 percent to 80 percent reduc- from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The report tion in greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide by estimated that $2.2 trillion must be spent in the next fi ve mid-century. years to restore the nation’s infrastructure to good condi- And they recommend skipping the imported steak and tion. buying local. Fruits, vegetables, meat and milk produced The irony is that it takes more to rebuild crumbling closer to home racks up fewer petroleum miles and saves infrastructure than to maintain it. energy, according to research by CEE’s H. Scott Matthews Another leading edge researcher working on this issue and Chris Weber. is Lucio Soibelman. He is developing spatial data mining In addition to work on life-cycle assessment tools, CEE and image reasoning approaches for use in understanding professors are exploring opportunities for soon to be ubiq- the spatial factors that affect water distribution and sewer- uitous available sensors and radio frequency identifi cation age systems. And with those problems come issues with (RFID) tags. water and water pollution. Burcu Akinci, a CEE associate professor and win- Jeanne M. VanBriesen, professor of CEE and director ner of the prestigious Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering of WaterQUEST (Water Quality In Urban Environmental Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Systems), and her colleague CEE Professor Kelvin Engineers (ASCE), is creating novel building information Gregory, are looking at how river water is impacted by models and a variety of sensors to streamline construction bromides, which are associated with the current Marcellus and facility management practices. Her work is designed shale gas produced water, and sulfate, which comes to save time, money and energy costs for both the private from abandoned coal mines. The huge southwestern and public sector facilities. Pennsylvania Marcellus shale formation is reported to Developing and evaluating technologies to improve the contain more than 300 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. built and natural environment, and thus our quality of life, VanBriesen also is leading a team of CEE students
28 Pittsburgh ENGINEER in helping to restore a the department’s mission in sustainability and is designed 100-year-old reservoir lake to help future engineers better manage increased stress on in the city’s Panther Hollow the world’s limited resources. The center is composed of a section bordering Schenley collaborative effort from Carnegie Mellon, the University Park, Phipps conservatory of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University. and several Oakland neigh- And the department’s energy and sustainability work borhoods. does not stop there. CEE’s Amit Acharya, director of the Helping students become new Center for Multi-Scale Modeling for Engineering good stewards of both the Materials (CM-EM), along with colleagues Kaushik Dayal built and natural environ- and Craig Maloney, are working to understand the atomis- ment and sustainable engi- tic and mesoscopic behavior of materials that remain very neers is an ongoing mission important for nuclear energy applications. for CEE. Going beyond “We are working to understand how new and exist- the slogans of sustainabil- Jeanne VanBriesen, ing materials will perform and degrade under various ity requires interdisciplin- settings,’’ said Acharya. “Our work has signifi cance for ary analysis, innovative everything from turbine engines for jet planes and power problem-solving, ethical and data-driven decision making. generation, to alternative types of load-bearing materials Courses addressing these different dimensions of sustain- that are used in every industry sector from aerospace to the ability are offered within CEE and nearly 40 environmen- steel and car industries.’’ tally-oriented courses are offered each semester in many From sustainable energy to sustainable infrastructure, different departments, including not only engineering, but Carnegie Mellon’s top-ranked CEE department contin- architecture, design, chemistry and policy. ues to train tomorrow’s engineering leaders to help make Not only are CEE students learning to challenge tra- buildings and infrastructure more sustainable, evaluate the ditional notions about our built and natural environment environmental and economic impacts of biofuels, bet- the environment and the role that we play in promoting a ter understand how materials degrade and make carbon sustainable future, but they are promoting sustainability on offsets a reality. a global scale. Carnegie Mellon’s CEE department has 21 faculty, 12 In CEE’s International Collaborative Construction staff, 120 full-time graduate students and 35 undergradu- Management class, students work in international teams ate students per class. Research activities throughout to collaborate from remote locations via the Internet tak- the department are clustered into three areas including, ing maximum advantage of information technology using advanced infrastructure systems, environmental engineer- commercially available software. ing science and management, green design and mechanics, The motivation for this particular course came from the materials and computing. realization that several American construction companies For more department information, see http://www. reported that some of their engineers and project managers ce.cmu.edu.about-us.index.html PE were not prepared to deal with increasing requirements of the global marketplace. For the past three years, students James H. Garrett, Jr. is the head of the Department of Civil and have worked on virtual teams made up of students from Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and co- director of the Center for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research Brazil, Turkey and Israel to address construction manage- (CenSCIR). ment challenges in these different countries. Student teams are working right now to make the university campus the most energy-effi cient and highly- sensed campus in the world with projects ranging from measuring the amount of energy used in campus buildings to helping facility managers inspect the life-saving fi re sprinklers throughout the 144-acre campus using RFID Thinking Holidays? tags. Think about Holiday Parties at ESWP. Other CEE student projects have involved design- ing “green spaces’’ throughout campus and developing Contact Mike Gaetano at community-based recycling projects for old computers and 412-261-0710, ext. 16 cellphones. The department’s Center for Sustainable Engineering, for available dates supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, further supports
Fall 2009 29 2010 Banquet Honorary Co-Chairs Save the Date! Announcing The Engineers’ Society
of Western Pennsylvania’s Stephen R. Tritch Chairman Westinghouse Electric Company 2010 Annual Banquet 2009 Metcalf Award Recipient & Silent Auction ~Our 126th Annual~
Be a part of Western PA’s premiere networking event for the technical community.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Alex G. Sciulli, P.E. Heinz Field East Club Lounge President RJ Lee Group, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA 2007-08 ESWP President
Listing of Advertisers Carnegie Mellon University ...... 23 CCan’tan’t ffindind a ssingleingle CDM...... 9 tthinghing ttoo wwear?ear? Flabeg ...... 18 GAI Consultants ...... 7 KU Resources ...... 19 International Bridge Conference ...... 8 Maybe it’s time for International Water Conference ...... 18 a new necktie. Lee Supply Company ...... 24 Join the fashion: Michael Baker Corp. . .. Inside Front Cover IBC Neckties MSE Power Systems ...... 10 Mullen/Highmark .. .. Outside Back Cover Paul C. Rizzo Associates ...... 21 RJ Lee ...... 23 Sci-Tek Consultants ...... 13 ...in Emerald Green, Burgundy, SNC/Lavalin...... 19 Black & Gold (new!), & Navy Blue Westinghouse ...... Inside Back Cover Order yours at www.eswp.com/bridge/ merchandise.htm
30 Pittsburgh ENGINEER on nuclear energy. Westinghouse is focused and clean air, For astrong economy Check usout at clean and reliable electricity. andenhance provide security our energy future generations with safe, Building additional advanced nuclear plants like AP1000will the United inthe electricity States. nuclear accounts energy for more than 70 percent of carbon-free the generation and 20percent United inthe States. Additionally, Today, nuclear provides energy 16percent of total electricity global States. United of choicetechnology for plants nolessthan 14new planned for the are now underconstruction inChina,and announced AP1000isthe the of its kindcurrently available marketplace. global inthe Four AP1000s The Westinghouse AP1000 power plants, including 60percent United of inthe those States. designbasisforthe well over 40percent of world’s the operating nuclear leadership position important inthis industry. isalready Ourtechnology Westinghouse and its employees 11,000global are proud of our business competitive, and willpower future worldwide jobgrowth. reliable and affordable electricity, willhelpnuclear energy American keep created thousands of jobs.By providing new already renaissanceThe has energy nuclear www.westinghousenuclear.com TM nuclear power plant mostadvanced isthe
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC Smarter Choices
Healthier Bottom Lower Line Medical Costs
GIVING EMPLOYEES CONTROL PAYS OFF FOR EVERYONE.
Your employees may all come at it a little differently, but today everyone wants lower health care costs. Highmark’s BlueAccount products get your employees directly involved in their health care spending through a Health Savings Account, Health Reimbursement Account or Flexible Spending Account. The more they’re involved, the smarter their choices. And that means lower costs. They get the tools to manage their accounts through one integrated online source. Along with the most doctors and hospitals, outstanding coverage, more choices, and good value. It all adds up to a greater hand in your company’s health. Find out more at 888.286.8414 or highmarkbcbs.com.
Your health plan may not cover all your health care expenses. Read your contract carefully to determine which health care services are covered. HRA, HSA and FSA provided through separate An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association arrangements with select administrators and custodians.